At Anyone’s Child, we work to engage politicians from across the political spectrum, encouraging cooperation in our pursuit of more humane, effective, and evidence-led drug policy. No matter what party we support, we can all agree that we want to get drugs under control and protect young people.
This goal has never been more urgent, as we find ourselves in an increasingly polarised world where division and hostility around numerous political issues is growing.
To bring drug policy reform from the margins into the mainstream, we must continue to unite voices from all parties around shared values and goals. It’s something we’ve always prioritised, and with some success. At each of our annual Parliamentary lobbies (held around June 26th), we’ve consistently secured support and speeches from MPs representing every major UK political party. This level of cross-party engagement is rare, and it speaks to both the strength of our message and the broad human impact of the issue we address.
Earlier this month, we once again put this strategy into action – straddling the political divide – hosting an event with the Conservative Former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP, and attending the Green Party conference in Bournemouth.
This kind of engagement isn’t always easy, since Suella Braverman has repeatedly called to have cannabis and nitrous oxide reclassified as class A drugs – something we would fiercely oppose, but it is essential. It is our view that change is most likely to happen when people across party lines are willing to listen, learn, speak out and work together.
Our latest ‘Take Drugs Seriously’ event in Portsmouth was organised by Anyone’s Child campaigner Hilary Mills who has been trying to engage with her local MP Suella Bravernman around the need for drug policy reform.
Hilary opened the night with a detailed and heartfelt plea to policymakers. She recounted the tragic loss of her son, Ben, seven years ago, a death she attributed to failed drug policy and the lack of safer consumption spaces in England. Ben, diagnosed with ADHD later in life, self-medicated due to the absence of a safe supply. He faced stigma, became isolated, and ultimately died alone in a hostel’s toilet. Hilary wants to see local reforms in her area including heroin assisted treatment, an overdose prevention centre and urged the local authority to explore integrated service models, advocating for a joined-up approach to address the co-occurrence of substance use and neurodevelopmental conditions.
The event also featured speeches from Janine Milburn – who lost her daughter Georgia at Mutiny Festival in Portsmouth. She emphasised the necessity of drug checking and testing at festivals and in city and town centres throughout the country. Janine founded ‘Don’t go with the flo’ and feels that her daughter’s death, due to high purity MDMA levels, could have been avoided if there were improvements in drug education and harm reduction initiatives for younger people.
Transform/Anyone’s Child ally, Neil Woods then gave a powerful talk around the futility of undercover policing drug work. He pointed out the paradox: as long as prohibition exists and the demand for drugs persists, the government is, in effect, filling the lucrative banks of organised crime. Neil focused on the roll-out of Heroin Assisted Treatment and the need for regulation, highlighting the reduction in crime, particularly shoplifting.
The PCC and Suella were then given an opportunity to respond. The Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones, provided a comprehensive account of the crime associated with the drug trade whilst mentioning a number of local initiatives she was supporting.
Suella Braveman, the local MP and former Home Secretary, has always been clear on her ‘tough on crime’ philosophy, which prioritises punishment and enforcement over harm reduction or legal regulation- as evidenced by her turn in office. However, she surprised many in the audience when she began her speech by suggesting the need for a societal shift to remove the stigma associated with drugs and the people who use them.
Whilst neither fully supported our calls to reform UK drug laws, all accepted that we are currently failing (a step in the right direction). We are very grateful for their attendance and engagement in such an important conversation.
Green Party Conference
On Saturday we were then invited to the Green Party conference to take part in Common Ground Justice Project’s event, Breaking Through the Noise. Our CEO, Jane Slater spoke about how drug policy reform should be seen as one part of establishing a new approach to crime and justice and the potential of reform to rebuild our trust in the criminal justice system.
The appetite for the conversation was strong, with a packed audience and helped by the new leaders of the Greens explicitly calling for the legal control and regulation of the drug market.
Zack Polanski, discusses the Green Party’s drug policy, Anyone’s Child and why all drugs need to be legally regulated.
Bridging The Political Divide
Drug policy reform is too urgent and too important to be held hostage by partisan politics.. When both sides bring their values and insights to the table, we stand a better chance of crafting policies that save lives, strengthen communities, and uphold justice.
Anyone’s Child will continue to work to bridge the ideological divide, ensuring that the unnecessary loss of lives like Ben and Georgia’s becomes a catalyst for systemic change.
Write to your MP
One of the most important things you can do is write to your MP
MPs need to know that constituents feel strongly on this issue and that their involvement will have public support.
For more tips and a template please visit our website:
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